The present invention relates to coaxial electrical cables for transmission of data signals. The cables comprise a metallic center conductor surrounded by insulation, a served or braided metal wire shield, a metal foil or metal-laminated polymer film or metal-filled polymer shield, and a protective polymeric jacket.
Currently, digital data processing and computing systems and other electronic apparatus have become increasingly smaller and lighter in weight, are manufactured to increasingly close tolerances, and have improved physical and electrical characteristics. Reducing the size and/or weight of a system providing the same electrical and mechanical characteristics as a larger and/or heavier system, or improving the mechanical and electrical characteristics while maintaining the same size and/or weight, can confer a considerable advantage in applications where minimum weight and size are important or which may allow the application to be successful. Cables of this type generally comprise a metallic center conductor surrounded by insulation, a served or braided metal wire shield surrounding the insulation, a conductive metal foil or metal-laminated polymer or metal-filled polymer tape-wound shield surrounding the served or braided wire shield, and a polymeric protective outer jacket. In a cable of this type, the served or braided metal wire shielding is generally applied to the insulation surrounding the center conductor at between ninety and one hundred percent coverage of the surface area of the insulation in order to provide a cable having adequate electrical properties.